Arts and Entertainment

Film

Who are some of the most successful black independent filmmakers?

Among the popular and successful black independent filmmakers are Melvin Van Peebles, whose popular work Sweet Sweet back’s Baadasssss Song was released in 1971, and Robert Townsend, whose satire, Hollywood Shuffle, appeared in1987. Such movies were labeled “blaxploitation films” and took a leading role in the film industry. Other notable black filmmakers include Spike Lee, who produced films such as Do the Right Thing (1989), Malcolm X (1992), and When the Levees Broke (2006); John Singleton, whose works include Boyz n the Hood (1991); Julie Dash, who created Daughters of the Dust (1991); and Tyler Perry, whose dramatic and comedic works include Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Madea’s Family Reunion (2006), For Colored Girls (2010), and Madea’s Witness Protection (2012).

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